So why did Facebook just spend a billion dollars on Instagram? Its new offering is curiously similar to the recent acquisition. Pegged as a tool to upload and share pictures on the social network, Facebook Camera also includes 15 filters and various basic editing and cropping options. The difference is that shots go straight to Facebook, rather than being added to an Instagram account, and you can post multiple photos at one time.

Mark Zuckerburg just announced that Facebook has agreed to buy mega-popular photo sharing service…
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And it might just be a stepping stone. A Facebook rep told us that they "can see elements in Camera working their way into the main app," meaning they could eventually fold it in.

You can download the app here. It's so similar to Instagram that it makes the giant buy seem pretty frivolous, and it could mean the death of your old favorite app. [Facebook via Facebook Camera via New York Times]